Days of Life
by djDJ
Summary: This is a one shot about Shinji and Asuka. Years after the 3I life has taken off once again...and for some...its gotten a hell of a lot beter. The summary sux...but i swear to god...i culdnt write much coz it'll give the story away.


_I don't own shit!!!!!_

The sound of gunfire rang about the bloodied corridors. Deaths scream rang about corridor 52: east wing. Amidst the unyielding thunder of deathly bombs the sound of running feet was all but lost. Briefcase in hand the woman ran into the infinite darkness hoping against hope that they would reach their destination. Two ran behind while she followed the third, always with briefcase in hand.

"I told you…I was the best leader…why the hell are we following him."

"Because…for the tenth time…he knows his way around this place."

BANG!!!!!

The wall not far behind gave way. The distant world of doom now seemed so much closer…so much more real.

"Come on you guys…if we don't hurry up we're gonna get shot."

"Ohh…man aren't you a genius…sheesh!!" the woman with the briefcase spat.

"S-sorry."

"Come on Shinji…calm down…I don't mean it…just lead the way."

It was true…the woman with the case had come a long way. Dating the boy…no the man ahead of her had had thought her a lot about the world around her.

And so onward they ran the light at the tunnel's end became insignificant as the tunnel was now lit up by the chaos outside. And soon there they were, the narrow hallway gave way to a mighty chamber. Metal beasts lined the walls all around…no, these weren't Eva's…they were cars.

'NERV employee parking' read the plague above the corridors entrance as a blue haired girl calmly entered a set of numbers on the key pad beside the tunnel exit bringing down a heavy reinforced door down between them and the war torn world beyond.

"Hey…you really did get us there didn't ya Shinji."

"Come on Asuka…you really do go hard on him…being his-"

"Shut up Touji, it was nothing…right Shin."

"Yeah Touji its fine…erm, Asuka I have something to tell you…"

"Not now Shinji, now where's Misato, she said she'd meet us here."

"Asuka…I need to tell you now!!!"

Surprised by his rather stern tone she followed him to a distant corned of the lot. For him…well this wasn't the most romantic of moments…but something told him it was now or nevr.

"A-Asuka…we've gone out for…well almost a year now and, I don't know how much longer we've got…s-so I-"

"Come on Shinji j-"

But suddenly the woman found herself short of breath. What the fuck was the baka thinking.

Getting down on one knee Shinji prepared to deliver the line he'd dreamt of saying since he met the German girl on the deck of a…

"Asuka, will you m-"

SMACK!!!

The follow-through was rough and edgy…almost uncertain. In her shock, the briefcase flew out of her hands, skidding across the floor and propping open meters away from the pair.

Shinji crumpled to the floor as Asuka hastily moved away from his broken body only glancing at the glowing contents of the briefcase…

But the next thing that she saw was Shrapnel…they'd at last gotten through the titanium entrance to the parking. The dust kicked up, a sickly veil…shielding their vision from witnessing their fate, a fate that was surely inevitable.

"Uuh…Asu…"

Screams raked across the dimly lit lot. Walls took the songs of pain and echoed them back tenfold. Section two swarmed across the lot as they traded bullets with the unknown foe.

Rei knelt beside the bleeding body, looking about the trembling form of the boy she knew so well. Steel and cement looked to have ripped the flesh straight of Touji's knee his mind numb from shock. Behind her unfurled the true miseries of a life seeming most surreal…a life seeming most…at its end.

Asuka could barely see straight. Blood carpeted the cement floor as Shinji's body lay quivering…death approaching.

A tiny piece of gold rolled across the crimson bed spreading around them. Asuka screamed again as the grim face of death faced her through lidded eyes. She saw no grim reaper standing tall…scythe in hand. No…she saw the dimming light in a world long since dark. She saw blood that was flowing…yet a heart that was stagnating. She saw lidded eyes that were sleeping yet lungs that weren't breathing…she looked into the unmoving face of Shinji Ikari. In the distance, determined footsteps could be heard…weather it was hope arriving…weather it was Shinji departing…she didn't care…

* * *

_'Ding dong'_

The light sound of a shower could be heard on the first floor of the modest home. The letters on the mailbox read:

IKARIS

"I'll be there in a minute." A voice rang from the inside.

Two men stood at the door, both dressed in sharp black suits. One had short brown hair and was to a fair extent bespectacled. The other was slightly taller and sported a ponytail…garnering various odd looks from his partner. Both looked rather grim…some things just tore you're heart out.

"The shower's on."

"Astounding deduction."

The taller one spat as the other wrote some things down on a note pad…the section two insignia on its back. The taller one was about to say something when the door opened with a jolt.

"Edward!! You're early."

"Good morning Mrs. Ikari how are you doing today."

"Come on Edward, we know each other better than that. Come in."

The two men made their way into the modest home and headed for the living room with unnerving knowledge of the house. Their blue-eyed host quickly entered the kitchen eager to prepare drinks.

"Not making breakfast today Asuka?"

Edward exchanged glances with the other man as they took their seat on a large couch.

"So, what'll it be guys."

"I'll take a coffee thanks."

But Edward's partner was silent; he continued to write things down on his notepad. Looking around Edward looked about the room his partner was so closely surveying. It was you're average living room…fireplace, couches…music system everything. A dusty cello stood on a stand in the corner. Along the shelves were old pictures of the couple…heart warming no doubt. A small poster said _'six years since last impact…still waiting for the next'. _Amusing, he though

Beside the door that they'd entered stood a dustbin stuffed nearly to the brim with envelopes, _Mrs. Ikari_ written in green ink across each of them.

"Here you go, how d'you have it."

"One cream and two sugar."

Edward replied as Asuka came bouncing in with a tray in her hand.

"And…"

"Oh this is Mr. Errol."

"Care for some coffee Mr. Errol

"Uh…I think I'll pass."

Pouring Edward and herself a cup she sat down across the table to the two. A gold ring upon her left hand reflected the morning sun with all its proud glory…

And there they sat, minutes passed as Asuka Soryu Ikari looked into Edward's eyes. Her azure orbs sparkled with the happiness of a new day. Suddenly, her brow furrowed as her eyes shot skyward.

"Shinji!!!! Get down here!!! Come on, Edward's here!!!"

"Hey Asuka, it's ok…really. If the Shin man likes long showers…well then he can take them at leisure. We really just want to talk to you."

Errol gave Edward a look…Edward responded by arching his eyebrows.

"Oh right, of course…well yeah sure what about."

Errol slowly scooted forward from his reclining position as Edward did the opposite; he leaned back, crossed his legs, rested his arm on the back of the couch and sipped his coffee with the other.

"Well Mrs. I-Ikari"

"Please, call me Asuka."

"Uh yes, well as we probably informed you…we are here to ask you a few questions about what happened on the second."

Slowly Asuka nodded as realization dawned on her.

"Yea…sure."

"Well, I'll just start you off and well you can fill in from there on OK."

"Y-yeah…sure." Clearly Asuka was still quick to bore.

"As far as we are aware NERV was attacked by a terrorist organization on the 2nd of July 2020 that to date we are unable to identify."

"You mean that no one's taken responsibility yet."

Asuka asked as Edward shrugged in response.

"Yes. Well as far as we know you lot were instructed by major Katsuragi to head to the parking lot. Can you tell us exactly what happened that day please."

Asuka nodded while she was still smiling.

"Again Edward I have to than-"

"Hey…hey…it was nothing."

"Yeah of course…you should hear Shinji go on about it…he always gets so exited when telling the story."

"Really"

Edward said while not quite seeming surprised, actually he seemed rather put down by hearing her say that.

"Maybe you guys should be a little discrete when it comes to my abilities you know."

Asuka didn't say a word…she simply continued to smile at the pair.

"Erm…Asuka…the events of the 2nd please."

"Oh right." Said the woman as she suddenly straightened up.

"We were in the NERV observation station, we were watching some of the new kinds try their hand at our new range of Evas. We're all to old to pilot those things n-"

"Uh, Asuka…I think Mr. Errol wants to hear about you're version of the events following the first breach."

"Oh."

Asuka seemed rather taken aback.

"W-well, as I said…we were in the observation room when the first breach occurred. The alarms went of all around us and the entry plugs were ejected into the nearby lake. Shinji and the other two we-"

"Eh w-who were these two…please try to remember everything."

Errol cut in.

"Well I'm telling you aren't I. It was Shinji, Rei, Touji and I and like I said, we were getting ready to run off when Major Katsuragi stopped us. S-she told us she was going with Gendo to alert section two. She told us to meet her in the NERV employee parking; she said she would get reinforcements there."

Mr. Errol continued to feverishly write down everything the woman said…every now and then his eyes would dart to the ceiling; he was still expecting Mr. Ikari.

Edward on the other hand continued to look an impatient Asuka right I the eyes as she continued.

"As I was about to leave with the others…well Gendo passed me a brief case."

Immediately Mr. Errol's magnified eyes shot up. Even Edward appeared to tense up slightly.

"The case was…it was normal sized, you know like any other case. It was bright silver…oh and boy was it heavy…he told me not to get rid f it."

Errol nodded as he continued to write things down.

"Well we immediately took the elevator to corridor 52 in the east wing. It was pretty dark in that corridor, but luckily Shinji knew his way around."

She added with a definite hint of pride. Edward and Errol exchanged looks…

"There were a lot of explosions everywhere…you know. I really didn't have a clue where I was going; I just kept running towards the exit. Finally after what seemed an hour to me…well we reached the lot where Shinji rather disarmed me."

"Exactly what did the boy do…please leave no detail out. You have to try an remember in vivid detail."

Asuka nodded, slightly blushing.

"Well he demanded that I talk to him. He dragged me to a corner and…and he was about to propose to me when I smacked him as hard as I could across his face."

She ended rather sheepishly.

"Looking back now, I don't know why I hit him. I guess it was the adrenaline…along with the shock. I just wasn't ready back then. But even back in that dim parking lot I knew that I would say yes one day. Looks like it was sooner than I though."

Both Edward and Errol glanced at each other…here it came.

"A-and when I hit him…th-the briefcase flew out of my hand and fell open a few meters from where I stood."

"A-and what was i-in the briefcase. W-hat happened next…tell us everything please."

Errol's squeaky voice bit through the morning air.

"Yeah." Asuka replied as she blanched slightly.

"Well then…t-then…then there was this big explosion…a-and, and Shinji."

Asuka seemed to shake slightly.

"Shinji was hit by shrapnel right in the chest…it was…it was horrible."

Edward moved around he table and put a reassuring arm on a trembling Asuka's shoulder. As she buried her head in her arms she spoke,

"And the case was…."

Her voice now teary…almost as if she'd realized…

Edward gave Errol a significant look.

"I couldn't see what was in the case. Those few minutes were horrible…I mean they were the worst I've ever lived. I just wanted my Shinji to live…which he did."

She completed smiling as Edward and Errol looked rather let down.

"Then you came Edward."

She went on, tears forgotten…her face immediately lighting up.

"Once again Edward…I have to thank you."

"Come on Asuka, its nothing."

"No…I remember…it all seemed like a dream…I was in shock. But I saw you come up to me…you looked at Shinji's dead body and you smiled…bastard you know what that did to me."

Edward did a little fake laugh as he went and sat back down beside Errol who was scribbling away.

"I asked you to heal help me, I begged you…man how uncool…and you came…you came and you used you're powers to heal him. You brought him back Edward, hey by the way…did they find out why you're such a freak?"

"T-thank you Asuka…and no, all NERV knows is that I have an unusually high AT field…apart from that I look a normal human being."

Edward completed as he stared at his hands.

"Well yeah that was it. You thrust your hand into his chest…there was some blinding light and there…he was back."

"Yes."

Edward said scratching his head.

"Oh hey…maybe Shinji saw what was in the case…hey Shinji!!!!! Get down here…one short shower isn't going to kill you."

"N-no Mrs. Ikari thank you. We really should get going."

"By the way how long has it been since Shinji played the cello." Edward asked in passing.

"Oh about two years I think." Asuka added as she got up to bid them farewell.

Standing up, Edward and Errol took their leave of the young Mrs. Ikari. On hearing her shut the main door Edward let out a low whistle.

"Well she doesn't remember does she."

"I believe she's getting there."

Errol added as they both reached what appeared to be thin air right beside the street in front of the IKARI residence. Flashing a card Edward and Errol walked through the door that had just materialized in front of them. Walking through it into the mechanically lit corridor the two walked silently until the path forked.

"Well here's where I get off."

Errol sighed as he threw his notepad and spectacles into a trash chute.

"Yeah, good show today Ernesto."

"Yeah, you too Ed, see ya tomorrow."

With a wave, Edward set of down the right path as Errol took the left. Not having walked ten steps Edward swung through a door to his right.

"What's the report?"

"How many times have I told you…you have to bring down the sun intensity…its to fuckin bright in there."

Edward had stepped into an observation room. Through its high windows he could see a small road…across which lay a house…its mailbox read IKARIS.

"So how is she doing."

"Well Katsuragi, the shower's still on."

Misato slumped slightly.

"But she wasn't making breakfast."

"Hey do you think she'll remember."

Misato replied perking up.

"One day she'll tell us exactly what she saw that day."

Sighing Misato pulled out two envelopes from her jacket pocket. Unconsciously, she began walking out the door and down the corridor towards the exit, Edward in step beside her continued to walk as he let his hair down.

"So Edward…which one shall it be?"

Misato inquired still looking at the envelopes.

"The usual, so she'll be expecting us tomorrow morning…and her pill."

"We'll give it to her tonight, she wont remember a thing in the morning."

Misato concluded as she put the envelope Edward had told her to deliver in her jacket pocket. It had Mrs. Ikari written on it in green ink.

All that was left was to dispose of the other one. Walking with Edward through the exit Misato entered the real outside world. A vast expanse of greenery spread about them as a solitary paved road snaked off over the hill to the out door parking lot.

"See ya Ed."

"Yeah good bye, I'll come around tomorrow morning as usual. When do you get off."

"I have to deposit this letter. Get rid of yours and then ya I'm off."

"Hmm, maybe we could catch a beer later, I'll convince Hyuga and Aoba to come along."

"Yeah that would be nice." Misato replied as she walked on the grass towards a small hill in the distance. She had a letter to throw.

Taking it out of its envelope she stared at Edward's snaky handwriting.

'_One day Asuka, I'll give this to you.' _She thought.

But not until she remembered exactly what she saw that day of course. As she walked she continued to read.

_Dear Asuka_

_To a woman of strength, to a woman of independence, to a woman of love, I salute you Asuka. Within you lies the strength to forgive the most damned of us, for one day I do hope that you shall forgive us all…that you shall forgive your self. _

Misato walked ever closed to the hill, upon it grew a small tree…it was where she was headed.

_We all must apologize to you Asuka, for keeping you here for however long it's been. But you need to remember…you must. And most of all I must apologize to you. You whose hand never once reached out in want, you who never asked for help. _

_One day you shall…_

Misato was climbing the low hill now, in the distance she heard Edwards car drive of towards Tokyo. There was the bark of a small tree growing in the shade of the other.

_You who fell on life's thorns and got up with your own hands. I'm sorry that you asked for help._

_One day…_

_I'm sorry that you asked for my help. And I'm sorry…_

_One day you'll tell him…_

_I'm sorry that I promised you that I would help…_

_You'll tell him 'yes'…_

_I'm sorry that I failed…_

Misato slowly put the envelope down beside a stack of others each bearing the name Ms. Soryu in green ink. She wiped a tear from her eye.

Looking up she saw the granite mound many mistook for a bark…it read:

_Shinji Ikari _

_2001-2020_

* * *

AN: yeah I had to get this out…just to get the juices flowing again. Edward is actually a character from another Eva fic I'm writing…it's a completely different story…but it does explain the source of his powers. This was just something that popped into my mind.

Read it carefully and I think you'll see that every base has been covered…it was fun.

Cheers

REVIEWS PLEASE

Cheers again.

And by the way…the idea of the briefcase was shamelessly ripped of from pulp fiction…we'll never know what's in it.


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